Shapers

[Ben Whitmore]

I'm interested to know who you go to for your boards. I have just ordered a newie and for the first time in 10 years, strayed from my normal shaper. The guy I ordered from is young and developing new things. The old shaper has more experience but has he really kept up with current trends?

Who do you go for. Young buck or Old hand?

[Hally]

Neither ... the shaping machine has taken over, even Al Merrick has folded.
BUT ... for something custom, there is no substitute for experience ... old ;)

Gonna be hard these days for the young shapers, good that they are still trying to keep the traditional methods alive tho'

[Dial]

I don't bother any more. I just buy off the rack. No waiting and you know what you're getting. The thing with custom boards is it takes quite a few boards for the shaper to fully understand what you are after.

If I was to go custom again I'd go for a shaper who is about the same size and age as myself and someone who is already shaping boards I like the look of. Its very hard for a shaper who weighs 60kls to get it right for a surfer who weighs 90kls and vice versa.

[ThePit]

I must admit that over the last couple of years I am seeing a whole lot more potential in the shaping machine. After all it does not mean that every board produced is pumped out the same.

At the end of the day it is in the hands of the shaper that has produced the template, and it is the shaper that sets up the machine to produce the finished result he has designed along with his rail shapes, bottom curves, vee's etc etc.

What your a machine does now is that it can ensure that a new design concept can be produced in perfect symmetry and then tested without being exposed to the potential flaws produced by the human hand or eye.

In fact then taking that new design concept that has been perfectly produced, enables the finished shape to be handed to one or more people for testing. After testing the shaper can then either reproduce a second copy of that original design, or they can make small changes or adaptations that allow further refinements, again without being exposed to those small flaws.

So there is heaps of potential there and I would humbly suggest that is precisely why guys like Merrick have decided to adopt the use of this technology.

Machines do not have to mean pop-outs!

[Hally]

Yes, that is correct and why Al Merrick jumped on board (no pun intended) ;)

[MindSurfer]

Well I don't even know if there are any shapers down here, and there's only one shop that sells boards in launie. When looking for my next board I reckon I'll have to head down Hobart way and try and find something.

[Sunny]

I have a friend who shapes awsome boards. Can shape anything and in over twenty boards over the last ten years I have not been dissapointed with any of them. Guns, fish, standard 6'0"s, grom baords hybrid mini mals and evrything inbetween the guys a shaping genius..thanks Marty.
I have bought a few different boards for a different feel but the best shaper is one you can surf with and try his shapes and modify them for yourself.

[Major Tom]

After getting a quiver of shockers as customs, I went back to stockies and wondered what I'd been wasting my money on. Then last year, I decided to try a Josh Dowling custom. Not great for me so far but to be honest, the conditions haven't been conducive...

[Krashparry]

Just got a new JS, went with the forget me not but changed the tail. Second JS i've had and really happy with it.

[Major Tom]

Gave the JD another go. It needs much bigger waves than're being provided, I guess.

It was a semi-gun that I ordered.

[surfnt]

if your looking to go custom in tazzie check http://www.milchsurfdesigns.com.au/
he,s shaped for years and shaped for a lot of the big players over the years he moved back to tazzie awhile ago and i wouldn,t trust anyone else for a custom

[MindSurfer]

Thanks man :)